The Celtics are set to open the 2020-21 season Wednesday night against the Bucks, but one of Wednesday's other season-opening games has been postponed.
The Rockets' game against the Thunder was postponed late Wednesday afternoon because Houston does not have the required minimum of eight players available to play.
Rockets star James Harden was deemed "unavailable due to a violation of the Health and Safety Protocols" after video surfaced of him partying maskless at a club. In addition, three Rockets players returned COVID-19 tests that were either positive or inconclusive and four others are now in quarantine due to potential exposure.
Asked about the postponement before his own team's game, Brad Stevens explained how diligent he and the Celtics have been and will continue to be when it comes to following protocols, saying they didn't exactly need a reminder to understand the seriousness of the situation.
"I literally just heard that as we were walking in here," Stevens said during his pregame press conference. "I don’t know why the game was canceled or anything else. I know that we’re all over, every day, doing what we need to do, both in the facility and recognizing the responsibility that we all have to each other as a staff, as players, and everybody else. Even the smallest of interactions can threaten that. But it’s why we test every day. Right now we’ve got tests that are point of care and PCR that’s a 24-hour return, so we’ve got both of those things going on. And at the same time, shows just how fragile it is.
"I don’t think that we necessarily needed a reminder, because all you have to do is look at the NFL, turn on college basketball, talk to your friends -- it’s everywhere. We’re going to do our very best to avoid it."